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What you can notice in your dog’s or cat’s mouth at home
An owner can notice some changes in a dog’s or cat’s mouth: plaque, reddened gums, a broken or discoloured tooth, swelling or persistent bad breath. That is a reason to book an examination, but it is not a diagnosis.
Only a veterinary dentist can make a diagnosis after a proper examination. A mouth that looks fine does not rule out disease: roots, the tissues around the teeth and the jaw bone cannot be seen at home.
- By a veterinary dentist
- Challenge: 5 scenes, 14 signs
- ≈ 3 minutes
What an owner can notice at home
During a short look, or simply by watching your pet, you may notice:
- Plaque and tartar — yellow-brown deposits at the gum line
- Red gums or gums that bleed at a light touch
- A broken tooth — a chip, a jagged edge, a pink or dark dot where it broke
- A tooth that has changed colour: pink, grey or purple
- A loose tooth or a missing tooth
- A growth on the gums or the lining of the mouth
- Swelling of the face, cheek or under the eye
- Persistent bad breath
Changes in eating and behaviour may also be signs of discomfort: chewing on one side, food falling from the mouth, refusing hard treats, avoiding touch around the face, or a cat grooming less. On their own they don’t point to a specific cause, but they are a reason for an examination.
Why a sign you notice is not yet a diagnosis
At home you can only see the crowns of the teeth and the edge of the gums. The roots, the periodontium — the tissues that hold the tooth — and the jaw bone cannot be assessed during a look at home or from a photo.
The same visible sign can have different causes. Red gums occur with gingivitis and with tooth resorption; a growth on the gums may be gum overgrowth or a tumour; persistent bad breath may come from gum disease or from a damaged tooth.
A mouth that looks calm does not rule out disease either. Tooth resorption in cats, root lesions and periodontal pockets are often hidden below the gum line — they are found during full diagnostics with periodontal probing and dental X-rays.
How to look into the mouth safely at home
A short look at a calm moment is enough: lift the lip at the side and look at the visible tooth surfaces and the gum edge. This shows only part of the mouth — the goal is not to check every tooth, but to notice changes.
1Pick a calm moment
After a walk or play, when your pet is relaxed. Talk calmly, praise and give treats.
2Just lift the lip
Lift the upper lip a little at the side with a finger. Don’t force the mouth open or hold the jaws.
3Look without pressing
Gum colour, a red line along the teeth, chips, darkening, growths. Don’t press on the gums or wiggle teeth to check whether they are loose.
4Smell and watch
Persistent bad breath, chewing on one side, food falling from the mouth — these are signals too.
Stop if your pet pulls its head away, tenses up, growls or won’t let you touch its face. Resistance and a reaction to touch may be signs of pain — it’s better to have your pet seen by a vet than to continue.
How to photograph the teeth for the vet →When to book an examination and when to seek urgent help
A guide to urgency that doesn’t replace an examination. If you see signs from the first list, don’t wait for a routine appointment or a reply to a message — go straight to the nearest available veterinary clinic.
Urgently, to the nearest clinic
Without waiting for a routine appointment:
- Heavy or prolonged bleeding from the mouth
- An injury to the jaw or face
- Difficulty breathing
- Your pet can’t close its mouth
- Swelling of the face, cheek or under the eye that is growing quickly
- A sudden marked decline in general condition
- Sudden heavy drooling, suspected poisoning, or your pet has chewed an electric cable
- A thread under the tongue — don’t pull it
- Your cat hasn’t eaten for more than a day
Book an examination soon
Don’t put off an examination if you notice:
- A loose tooth or a missing tooth
- A broken tooth with a pink or dark dot — see a dentist as soon as possible, don’t wait for weeks
- A darkened tooth
- A growth on the gums
- Red or bleeding gums
- Tartar
- Two of the same tooth side by side in a puppy or kitten
- Persistent bad breath
- Food falling from the mouth, chewing on one side
At a routine check-up
When all is well at home:
- A puppy’s or kitten’s first check-up
- A bite check while the teeth are changing
- Choosing a toothpaste and brush, learning to brush
- A follow-up after treatment — when the vet has scheduled it
Why home remedies do not treat dental disease
Toothpastes, gels, sprays, water or food additives, treats and special diets do not replace diagnosis and treatment. They do not remove tartar — especially below the gums, where periodontitis develops — and they do not treat a broken tooth with exposed pulp, resorption, a root infection or a tumour.
If bad breath eases for a while after using a product, that doesn’t mean the cause is gone: the disease may continue unnoticed.
Prevention
Regular brushing with a soft brush and a pet toothpaste is the foundation of prevention. It slows plaque build-up and helps maintain the result after treatment.
How to brush a dog’s teeth →Supportive care
Gels, rinses, additives, dental diets and treats can complement brushing if a vet has chosen them for your pet’s mouth. On their own they replace neither the brush nor treatment.
Treatment
Removing tartar above and below the gums and treating periodontitis, broken teeth, resorption, root infections and growths is done by a vet after diagnostics. Most of these procedures are performed under anaesthesia.
Can tartar be removed at home? →What a veterinary dentist establishes
The assessment has two stages, and each gives a different amount of information.
Examination and consultation
The vet takes a history, examines your pet’s mouth without anaesthesia and assesses visible changes. You will learn the possible causes, a preliminary plan and an approximate cost.
Without anaesthesia the roots, bone and areas below the gums cannot be assessed, so the final scope of treatment is usually not set at this stage.
How the consultation works →Full diagnostics: the COHAT protocol
Under anaesthesia the vet examines every tooth, performs periodontal probing and takes dental X-rays of all teeth — in this practice X-rays are part of COHAT. The final diagnosis and treatment plan are made after that.
What COHAT includes →What to do if you notice something
- Book an examination with a veterinary dentist.
- Take a few clear photos or a short video and note what you noticed, when it appeared and whether appetite or behaviour has changed.
- Don’t give human painkillers or any medicine a vet hasn’t prescribed, and don’t try to remove tartar or wiggle a tooth yourself.
- If there are urgent signs, don’t wait for an appointment — go to the nearest available veterinary clinic.
What a healthy mouth usually looks like
Compare this drawing with the first scene of the challenge. But looking normal is not a guarantee of health: changes below the gums, in the roots and in the bone can’t be seen this way.
- Gums
- Pink (or with natural dark pigmented patches), with an even edge, not swollen and not bleeding at a light touch.
- Teeth
- White or slightly creamy, with smooth, shiny enamel — no chips, darkening or yellow-brown deposits at the gum line.
- Breath
- A brief smell after eating is normal. A smell that lasts longer than a few days is a reason for an examination.
- Number of teeth
- An adult dog has 42 permanent teeth, a cat has 30.
Challenge: practise noticing the signs
The challenge teaches you to notice visible signs, not to make a diagnosis. Tap the spot that worries you: an explanation will appear — what it looks like, what it may mean and how urgently your pet should see a vet.
Scene 1 of 5
Dog: side view
Adult dog, upper lip lifted with a finger
Tap the picture
Find 3 problems
Tap the picture
Myth or fact?
Seven statements owners often hear. What do you think?
1It’s normal for a dog’s breath to smell.
2Children’s toothpaste is fine for a cat too.
3If a dog is eating, its teeth don’t hurt.
4Tartar can be removed without anaesthesia, and that’s enough.
5A bone is a natural toothbrush.
6A temporary tooth that hasn’t fallen out may need to be extracted.
7Cats often hide mouth pain.
Care in brief
Answers to the questions owners ask most often.
Which toothpaste should I use?
Only a pet toothpaste: it’s made to be swallowed. Human toothpastes aren’t meant to be swallowed, and xylitol in some of them is toxic to dogs.
Baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar and “natural” remedies aren’t suitable either. If you don’t have a pet toothpaste yet, it’s better to brush without toothpaste than with a human one.
Why not human toothpaste →How often should I brush?
Ideally every day. Plaque starts to mineralise within 24–48 hours, so regularity matters more than “perfect” technique once a week.
If daily brushing doesn’t work out, start with a few times a week — that’s better than never.
How to brush a dog’s teeth properly →What to brush with, and how?
A soft brush sized for the mouth; a finger brush works well for getting started. Hold the bristles at a 45° angle to the gum line; for most pets, brushing the outer surfaces of the teeth is enough.
Get your pet used to it gradually and without force: end each step while your pet is still calm.
How to brush a cat’s teeth →What does bad breath tell you?
Persistent bad breath isn’t normal. Most often its source is in the mouth: plaque, tartar, gum inflammation, a damaged tooth and, in cats, also resorption or gingivitis.
Sometimes the smell is linked to other conditions — for example, kidney disease or diabetes. So bad breath that lasts longer than a few days is a reason for an examination.
Bad breath →Which toys and treats are safe?
Thumbnail test: press your nail into the chew — it should leave a dent. If it doesn’t, it’s too hard for teeth.
Bones, antlers, hooves, hard nylon “bones”, ice and stones can break a tooth, and tennis balls gradually wear down the enamel.
Which chews break teeth →Why is cleaning done under anaesthesia?
Without anaesthesia only the visible tartar can be removed, while the plaque under the gums stays. Under anaesthesia the vet examines every tooth, takes dental X-rays and cleans under the gums.
Anaesthesia-free cleaning: why not →How often should a vet check the teeth?
There’s no one-size-fits-all schedule: the interval depends on age, breed, gum health and home care.
For some adult pets with no dental problems, a check-up about once a year can be a guide, but it’s a guide, not a rule — the vet decides how often.
How often a check-up is needed →When is the first dental visit?
It’s worth having a puppy or kitten seen for the first time at around 2–3 months: the bite of the temporary teeth is already assessed then. It’s easiest to check the bite again at 4–6 months, while the teeth are changing.
Dentistry for Puppies & Kittens →
When temporary teeth are replaced by permanent ones
In puppies and kittens, temporary teeth are replaced by permanent ones from about 4 to 7 months of age. Usually, by 7 months all the temporary teeth have been replaced by permanent ones.
If you see two of the same tooth side by side, a tooth is injuring the palate, a permanent tooth is still missing by 6–7 months, or your puppy or kitten chews carefully or has developed persistent bad breath, don’t wait for the teeth to finish changing.
- Incisorstemporary: 3–5 wk · permanent: 4–5 mo
- Caninestemporary: 3–4 wk · permanent: 5–6 mo
- Premolarstemporary: 4–6 wk · permanent: 4–6 mo
- Molarsno temporary molars · permanent: 4–7 mo
- Incisorstemporary: 2–4 wk · permanent: 4–7 mo
- Caninestemporary: 3–4 wk · permanent: 4–7 mo
- Premolarstemporary: 5–6 wk · permanent: 4–7 mo
- Molarsno temporary molars · permanent: 4–7 mo
Frequently asked questions
No. At home you can only see the crowns of the teeth and the edge of the gums. The roots, the tissues around the teeth and the jaw bone are assessed during full diagnostics under anaesthesia with periodontal probing and dental X-rays. So a mouth that looks calm does not rule out disease.
Plaque and tartar, red or bleeding gums, a broken or discoloured tooth, a loose or missing tooth, a growth on the gums, facial swelling and persistent bad breath. Changes while eating are a reason too: chewing on one side, food falling from the mouth, refusing hard food.
No. These products do not remove tartar below the gums and do not treat broken teeth with exposed pulp, resorption, root infections or tumours. Regular brushing with a pet toothpaste is important for prevention and for maintaining the result of treatment, and products prescribed by a vet can complement the plan, but they do not replace diagnosis and treatment.
If there is heavy or prolonged bleeding from the mouth, a jaw injury, difficulty breathing, your pet can’t close its mouth, swelling is growing quickly or its general condition has suddenly worsened. In these cases go straight to the nearest available veterinary clinic without waiting for a routine appointment.
At the examination and consultation the vet assesses visible changes, explains the possible causes and draws up a preliminary plan. During COHAT under anaesthesia every tooth is examined, periodontal probing and dental X-rays of all teeth are performed — the final diagnosis and treatment plan are made after that.
No. A photo helps the vet see visible changes and judge urgency, but it doesn’t show the roots, bone or areas below the gums. A diagnosis is made after an examination and, if needed, after full diagnostics under anaesthesia.
Share with anyone who has a dog or cat
A pet won’t tell you it’s in pain, but an owner can notice visible changes in time and have it seen by a vet.
Noticed any of these?
Book an examination and consultation: I’ll assess the visible changes and explain the possible causes and a preliminary plan. You can also send photos and questions on Telegram. In an emergency, don’t wait for a reply — go to the nearest available veterinary clinic.